Improvement in sheets for forming the bodies of square or rectangular tin cans



LsowEns.

Sheets for Form ing th Bodies of Square or Rectangular Tin Cans.

N 134,72 Patentedjan.14,1873.

UNITED STATES JOSIAH nownns,

PATENT QFFICE.

or BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR 'roJo- N A. IVES 8t BROTHER OFSAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEETS FOR FORMING THE BODIES OF SQUARE 0R RECTANGULARTIN CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,726, dated January14, 18 73.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH BOWERS, of Baltimore county and Stateof'Maryland, have invented certain new and use Improvements inStamping-up Sheets of Tin for Forming the Bodies of Square orRectangular Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents, in perspective, an under and upper die, between orin which the sheets of tin for forming the body of the can, are notchedand-broke or flanged, at one and the same operation; and, if desired,also paneled. Fig. 2 represents one of the sheets after it has beenoperated upon in the dies, showing the notches and turned edges; alsothe panels, though the latter is not a necessary operation, it beingornamental, mainly. Fig. 3 represents, in perspective, one of the canscomplete.

The plan hitherto pursued in preparing the sheets for the bodies of whatare called square cans required some fine manipulations, and were notthen as perfect as those I make by one single operation. As heretoforepracticed, the sheet was notched (in a machine) on one of its sides,then turned and notched on its opposite side. It was then taken to whatis called a breaking-machine, and the breaks or flanges were turned uponits three sides by three separate operations or manipulations, thusmaking five manipulations in all; "and when the sheet was paneled, thatrequired another machine and another operation. The paneling, however,may be omitted.

My invention consists in striking-up, shaping, or forming the sheets ofmetal out of which the bodies of square or rectangular cans are made, atone and the same operation, by which much time and expense is saved, andmuch more perfect and uniform work produced, such striking-up, shaping,or forming of the sheets consisting in turning or flanging (technicallycalled breaking) three sides of the sheet, and notching the oppositesides, not only to facilitate, but as guides for bending said sheetaround a former, to give it square corners and true form.

To enable others skilled in the art'to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing.

A represents an under die, the central portion a of which issomewhatraised. Upon opposite sides of this die are arranged cutters b bb having angular cutting-edges, so as to cut a notch in the sheet whenpressed upon or over them. At two corners of this die are ar ranged twocutters, c 0, which take off the two corners of the sheet of metal as itis pressed over them. 7 These cutters are held to the die by set-screwspassing through slots, so that they may be removed to be sharpened orrepaired, replaced and adjusted. Upon the raised bed or portion a of thedie may be sunk en recesses d d for forming panels in the sheet, whendesired, and upon the die may be arranged a guide or gage for placingthe sheets accurately thereon, and the cutters or shoul ders thereon mayserve as the guides or gages for placing the sheets upon the die. Theupper die or follower B is formed in reverse to the under die, its face6 being sunken below the edges f, and its paneling-surfaces g: raised,and the flanges or edges are notched or out, as at h z, where this upperdie comes down upon or over the cutters b o of the under die A.

The sheet of tin to be operated upon is first accurately laid upon theunder die,'its edges at two sides and one end projecting over thebed-surface a. The upper die or follower is then brought down, and thenotches m and flanges n, as seen in Fig. 2, are made upon the sheet 0 atone operation. The paneling may also be made at the same time; but thispan v eling is not essential to the manufacture of the can, as thenotches and flanges are, and may be omitted entirely. They may add somelittle stiffness to the sides of the can, but are ornamental, and oftenused for stamping the name of the user in.

One end, j, of the sheet, is neither notched the corners of the squareor rectangular can.

thebreaks or flanges a, when the sheet is bent up into rectangular formand soldered, forming seats for the top and bottom of the canto restagainst and to be soldered to or in.

The can when finished is shown at D, Fig. 3, whereon is marked thebreaks a, and the points where the notches m admit of the bending andclosing of their edges,so as to be readily soldered tight at thecorners. The head k of the can, as well as the bottom of it, is pressedfrom the inside against the'iianges n of the body, and there solderedfrom the ext'eri'or, and the vertical soldered joint in the body is alsosoldered from the exterior, and

may be done when the body is bent over ,and

is upon the former, which will hold the unpurpose described.

' JOSIAH BOWERS. Witnesses: V V t V 7 ,7

JOHN R. MEDINGER, RIGHD. S. BRIDGE.

